Retribution
by Higanbana
Summary: Someone is murdering the members of the Hyuuga Clan, and Neji is the prime suspect for revenge. Neji needs to prove his innocence, help Hinata, and stop the killer. Warning: some deaths and a few bloody scenes. Darkfic at end.[FINISHED]
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I only own the plot and idea for this story.

* * *

"Neji-sama!" The door shuddered under the furious hammering. Neji bolted out of bed and wrenched the door open. Looking at the servant's face, Neji's heart sank. "Hyuuga-sama has called an emergency meeting. There was another one last night."

* * *

"Everyone be quiet." Hyuuga Hiashi's orders silenced the uneasy mutterings. "There was another murder last night. This can be no accident. This morning, we discovered Mako-san dead. She was poisoned last night." A gasp had gone up at Hiashi words, and now some people wailed quietly.

"Anbu are looking into the case. Until we catch this person, we must be cautious. Stay together and do not do anything that may expose you to the killer. The funeral will be tonight."

Hiashi adjourned the meeting and Hyuugas left the room hesitantly. An honor guard surrounded Hiashi and Hanabi as the swept out. Looking around, Neji noticed Hinata hunched in a chair.

"Hinata-sama," he said quietly. Hinata jumped in a panic.

"N-Neji-niisan. I'm sorry. What is it."

"Hinata-sama, allow me to escort you for the next few days." 'Since your father would never waste his precious guards on you,' he added to himself.'

"It-It's alright, I'll be fine. You don't need to worry about me."

"Please, let me do this. It can be an apology for the exam match." Hinata looked at her hands for a moment.

"Al-alright then, Neji-niisan," she said looking up at him. "But…you really shouldn't…" The rest of her words faded as she looked down again.

Neji couldn't tell if she was hesitant because it was him or because of what had happened to her recently. 'But I will guard her. It's the least I can do.'

"Neji-san." A Hyuuga servant bowed. "Hyuuga-sama wishes to speak to you."

* * *

Neji sat quietly at the funeral. The priest muttered prayers at the front, waving sticks of incense over the bodies to be cremated. People moved restlessly in the crowded room. Many people of Konoha attended the funeral. After all, it was for two important people in the most powerful clan. The ritual ended and Neji joined the swell leaving the room.

Looking for Hinata, he realized that she must have slipped out right when the funeral ended. He start for the training grounds, then abruptly went back. Hinata could usually be found in the training grounds, but she had developed a different haunt. Rounding the corner, he saw the girl kneeling on the ground, talking to the air, it seemed.

"Hinata-sama?" The girl jumped, and the fingers that had been tracing the engravings fell to her lap. Neji looked at what she had been touching, though he already knew. The newest name that had been added to the Konaha memorial stone:

Uzumaki Naruto

Hinata finally broke the silence that had descended upon the cousins. "What did you want, Neji-niisan?" she asked meekly without turning to face him. Neji, likewise, kept his gaze on the tombstone.

"Earlier today, your father asked to talk to me." The girl was silent, and if it had been anyone else Neji would have wondered if she was even listening to him. But he knew his cousin, and the fact that she had been losing those she cared about made him all the more important to her.

"They think it's me."

"Huh?"

"They think I'm the killer," Neji said grimly.

"What, but why?"

"Mako-san, Sumi-san and Jako-san were all in the Hyuuga council. They think that I still have a grudge against the main branch and that I killed them for revenge."

"But you wouldn't, you're not like that!"

"Hnn, but they don't think so. I also had the chance to do all of them. I was training the night Jako-san had a heart attack. No one saw me, so they think I could have been the one to cause the attack by injecting chakra into his chest. I was also training the night Sumi-san died. Last night, I was in the kitchen as they prepared dinner." Neji was silent as he let Hinata think about what he had told her.

"But anyone could have done those. What are they picking you?"

"They need someone to take the blame. Three elders of the most powerful clan have been murdered. They can't tell people they don't know what's going on, not if they want to keep everyone from panicking."

Neji turned suddenly and threw a kunai into the bushes. "You can stop spying on me," he said to the guard that leapt out. "Don't take me for a fool and think that I don't notice you."

"Hinata-sama, your father requests that you return to the house immediately."

"But-but why?"

"They don't want you near me," Neji answered. "You should leave, Hinata-sama, before they try to use you too."

* * *

Sukari's funeral was even more crowded than the previous ones. Tears ran down Hinata's cheeks as she prayed for Sukari's soul. Neji was flanked on either side by Anbu. They would escort him to his new room after the funeral, where he would essentially be under house-arrest. Sukari's death had made Neji even more of a suspect. She had supported his father's sacrifice for the main family, and the killer had left a message,

THE BEGINNING OF RETRIBUTION

Neji was the likeliest to desire revenge against the Hyuuga council members. It was too late for him to protest his innocence. Too long had he openly showed his hatred of the council, and his recent change was not enough to counteract his reputation.

Hinata would have fought for him, but he had ordered her not to. Too much had happened to her. Naruto had been killed on a mission, and now she lost a woman who had cared for her. When the Anbu had showed the note, she had balled her fist and clenched her teeth.

"Sukari was a good person. She may have created cause for revenge, but she was one of the best." Tears flowing, Hinata then returned to her vigil at the memorial, where her immediate family ignored her. Neji, it seemed, was the only one to worry about how she would be doing after so many deaths, and now it seemed that they wanted to take him from her too.

The funeral ended like the others, and people dispersed in groups, whispered to each other and looking over their shoulders. The Anbu stood around Neji, and he followed them out. Glancing back, he saw Hinata alone at the front, staring down at the body and mouthing something. No one was there for the girl, for her team had been dispatched on a mission earlier. Usually, he would be where her team was not, but it seemed that he couldn't even do that little thing for her anymore.

'Dammit,' he thought. 'One of the things I can do to make it up to her and they won't even let me.'

* * *

I'm sorry!! I know I should update my other stories but I just had to get this out. I didn't develop this as much as I would have liked, but I'm gong to try to make the chapters longer with more action. I'll try to update in about a week, and I definitely will this time! 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Naruto. I only own the plot for this fic.

* * *

"Neji-san, you have a visitor." Neji turned from the grille over the window as Hinata came into his 'room'. She looked around, and he saw her take in the small bed and table that constituted his tiny room. The room was about medium sized and the bed took up about a third of the space. Neji had moved the table to the corner beneath the window to make room for his training exercises.

"Are you in here the whole day?" she asked, eyes wide.

"No, I can train under supervision and I can walk around in the hallway." They were quiet. "Why did you come? You family won't be happy about this," he warned.

Hinata smiled sadly. "They're never happy about anything that I do," she replied quietly. "One more thing won't make it much worse… Neji-niisan, I'll try to get you out. Tsunade-sama will try too." Unspoken was the Konoha power struggle, that even the Hokage would have problems interfering in the Hyuuga Clan's affairs.

"It's not too bad being here. I'll survive," he assured her. He looked her over carefully, taking in the perpetual trembling hands and pale skin. Thinking over it, Neji wondered that she had not collapsed in fits, losing her idol and her family. She was dealing with it well. 'Or hiding how she's dealing with it,' Neji thought, narrowing his eyes. His gaze lingered on her arms and her stomach, which were covered by her heavy coat. Hinata felt his gaze, but did not answer his unasked question.

"I need to go now," she said softly, turning. He almost called out to her, almost asked her about the rumors; but he was too afraid of her answer, if she really was cutting herself or starving herself…

* * *

A knock sounded at Hyuuga Maya's door. She opened the door a crack, but saw no one in the hallway. She shut the door quickly, surveying the room fearfully. Activating the byakugan, she looked up too late as a figure dropped on her, cutting her throat in one swift motion. Maya was dead before she could even register the pain, her face frozen in surprise. Moving the slumped body to a chair, the killer tossed a small card onto the table.

FATAL DECISIONS HAVE FATAL CONSEQUENCES

* * *

"Neji-san, you are free to leave." Despite the mask, Neji could tell that the Anbu was unnerved, edgy.

"Who was it? Who was killed?" Only a death while Neji was locked up could prove his innocence.

"There were two. Last night, Hyuuga Keiji's throat was cut. This morning, after the meeting over Keiji, Hyuuga Maya was killed in the same manner."

"N-Neji-niisan?" The Anbu shifted to reveal Hinata, looking even paler and sicklier than she had yesterday. "I'm taking you home." The girl turned and shuffled down the hall, leaving Neji to catch up to her.

Stepping into the street, the two cousins made heir way home in silence, ignoring the sympathetic and curious glances of the other townspeople. The Hyuuga murders were common knowledge, scandalous news in an otherwise boring place. Some people approached Hinata to exchange a few words along with a reassuring hug or squeeze. Despite her smile of gratitude at their support, Neji could see that the girl was shaken and tired, most likely ready to start crying, although she may have run out of tears at this point. Naruto 3 months ago, and the six murders strung out in the past month or so. Of the six, Keiji and Sukari had been the only ones Hinata had liked. Hinata had lost 3 of the most important people to her, and Neji knew that Naruto had finally started to clue in when he was killed. He felt sorry for his cousin as well, to lose the boy that was finally starting to like her back and to lose two people that had raised and cared for her. Neji, on the other hand, was perfectly fine. While his hate had abated, a strong dislike for the main branch and leaders still remained.

As they approached the compound, Hinata's steps grew even slower. Stepping through the gates, Neji could almost taste the fear that laced the air. Anbu guards were stationed around the perimeter and people slunk fearfully across the courtyard, running to buildings and twitching at the slightest sound. Hinata led him into the main building and to one of the smaller meeting rooms.

"Neji!" As soon as the boy stepped through the door, his mother tackled him, babbling and examining him to make sure he still had all of his arms and legs. Gai and his teammates surrounded him, voicing their relief and anxieties.

"I'm fine, Okaasan," he protested, extracting himself from her arms. Hinata slipped out the door, leaving him to enjoy his homecoming.

* * *

Tsunade paced in her office, looking out the window every few seconds. She threw herself into her chair, glaring at the file on her desk. It was all because of that file, the Hyuuga murders. Hiashi complained constantly, and other townspeople demanded that she do something to ensure their safety.

'Idiots, only the Hyuuga council are targets,' she thought irritably.

"Hokage-sama!" One of the Anbu captains burst into the room.

"Finally! You guys are late. So what did you find out?" The Anbu had obviously found something, for he was breathing too hard from excitement. He finally straightened and started to give his report.

"As advised, we looked at those who would have a grudge against the Hyuuga. We narrowed it down, and we have a handful of possible suspects and two probable suspects." He handed her a scroll with a list of names. He saw her eyes widen when she reached the bottom of the list, one of the probable suspects.

"Call the Hyuuga Council immediately," she ordered.

* * *

Yet another meeting in the meeting room. Neji was getting tired of the whole thing. He didn't even have to come, but he had come because Hinata-sama had asked. One of her few requests, and he couldn't refuse her such a small thing. Entering the room, Neji quickly realized that this was a very exclusive meeting. Only the most important members of the Hyuuga Clan were present, all of the main house and the branch members that had an important position in the clan. A few people were muttering when Neji came in, but Tsunade cut them short.

"Hurry up and sit down," Tsunade snapped. People sat quickly, quieting to hear what this was about. "We investigated suspects. We found two probable suspects, one more than the other." She tossed a file with a picture onto the table. Neji craned his head to read the caption.

"Hyuuga Mari…?" Someone said, puzzled. Hiashi stood up abruptly.

"I demand that you stop this right now! This is none of Konoha's business."

"It is Konoha's business," Tsunade retorted coldly. "This may not just be against the Hyuuga."

"Who is she?" Hanabi asked.

"She is a Hyuuga, of the main branch."

"Stop this!" Hiashi ordered.

"That's your half-sister." Many people in the room gasped, though some who knew of Mari pursed their lips.

"She's dead and gone, and good riddance."

"She is not dead, Hiashi. After you disowned her she fell in with some missing-nins. She is currently part of the Akatsuki. Our second suspect too." Tsunade threw another file onto the table, and this time everyone recognized the picture.

"What would Uchiha want revenge for?" someone demanded.

"Who knows? But he would be able to move around in Konoha and he is capable of all of the murders. It could be both of them or one of them or maybe neither of them." Tsunade sighed. "There is a disturbing lack of clues and motives, so we still advise you all to be cautious."

"Hmph," Hyuuga Miho snorted. "So you want us all to hide and slink around in the shadows?" Hiashi's mother stood in annoyance and stalked to the door. "I, for one, can take care of myself!" She stepped into the hall, then gasped in surprise. Neji watched as she fell into the room, body curled slightly.

Tsunade was the first at the woman's side. She flipped the woman onto her back and pulled the kunai from Miho's chest. "Dead," Tsunade said grimly as a red stain spread across Miho's kimono.

She strode into the hall. "Damn, no one."

"What happened?"

"Someone was waiting outside and attacked as soon as she stepped out. But," Tsunade brow furrowed, "Miho isn't part of the council, right?"

"No, she's not. My mother refused a position."

"Then why was she attacked? Unless…it's not just the council. This was random; she was just the first out. Maybe someone really is after the whole clan." Many in the room who had considered themselves safe tensed.

"What happened to the Anbu?" Neji asked. "Weren't they supposed to be guarding?"

Tsunade's eyes widened. Slinking down the hall, she peered around the corner, every nerve alert for any sign of danger. Neji and a few Hyuuga followed while the rest adhered to the 'safety in numbers' tactic. The halls were eerily deserted, and Neji wondered if the Anbu had died like Miho.

He was the first to see the body with his byakugan. The man was still alive, chakra pulsing gently in Neji's vision. Tsunade poke him gingerly, wary of traps. The Anbu remained unconscious, head lolling to the side slightly. The Hokage leaned in to look at the man.

"Drugged, I think," she said after performing various examinations. "Most likely a gas or maybe in his food." She slapped him lightly. "Damn," she cursed, slapping him a little harder. Neji walked further down the hall and saw the chakra of the other Anbu in different rooms. All seemed to have been attacked in the same way as the first.

"Fine," Tsunade said. "Call some medic-nins to take them to the hospital. And send more Anbu to investigate the area. We need to find some clues to this. Apparently they are only after the Hyuuga, if they didn't kill the Anbu."

"Hokage-sama!" A Hyuuga servant rushed down the hall. "Kuriha-sama was just killed!"

* * *

"Damn this murderer!" Tsunade swore. Neji did not swear out loud, but he was sure he felt the same as Tsunade. After the unconscious Anbu had been discovered, the Hyuuga that remained in the room had left. Kuriha had been at the meeting, and he had been killed on the way to his room, murdered while the absent Anbu were investigating the unconscious nins.

'This killer is definitely smart,' Neji thought. 'They anticipated we would be preoccupied.'

Kuriha's death was the worst yet. His body dangled a few inches off of the ground, the long knife in his chest pinning him to the wall.

"A horrible death," Tsunade said. "The blade pierced both lungs; he drowned in his own blood." She pulled the knife to release the man. A piece of paper fluttered to the ground as Tsunade blinked at the handle in her hand. Kuriha remained pinned by the blade. Neji bent to retrieve the note:

THREE MORE TO SEND TO HELL

* * *

Wow, I updated in less than a month. I meant to update yesterday but FFN was down. A little over the week I planned for, but not too late. I'll try to update in a week again, so watch for it!

Star Lily


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters. I only own the plot of this story

* * *

Neji barely concentrated on his training, his mind puzzling over the latest message. 'So the last three on the council. Or it should be, unless there's another random murder like Miho-sama's' he stilled as he sensed someone approaching, then sighed in relief as Hinata emerged from the pathway.

"Neji-niisan, they want you to come back now. They think it's safer if we all stay together."

'Everyone together, huh? And they send you alone to get me. Bastards!'

"Niisan." Hinata gently touched his sleeve. Neji knew she could feel his anger. He met her eyes, and knew that she knew what he was mad about. She really was too observant, that she could read him so easily. "It's okay. Hanabi is more suited to their needs."

'Damn bastards. Trying to get her killed so Hanabi can replace her.'

Before, it had seemed like Hinata was going to be engaged to a suitable clan leader. Hanabi, however, complained constantly that depending on Hinata doomed the Hyuuga. The arrogant child insinuated the disgrace of bringing in someone else to lead the great Hyuuga clan, and it seemed that now everyone agreed with her. Hinata needed to go, and death was the only way to get rid of her without a huge fuss. Disowning had been an option earlier, but Hiashi had argued against it.

'Probably didn't want another daughter in the Akatsuki,' Neji mused, thoughts turning to Mari. Hiashi's child by a different woman, she would be 27 years old, 10 years older than Hinata. Hiashi had showed up with the child one day, but when he needed to marry Hinata's mother in order to become the leader, he had disowned the 8-year-old Mari. She had disappeared, and many thought that Hiashi had killed her. Nothing could be proved because few had seen her or even knew about that part of Hiashi's past.

"A horrible clan," Neji murmured softly as he walked beside Hinata. 'One in the Akatsuki, one to be eliminated, and a little brat the favored child.' Neji shuddered to think of a future ruled by the scheming brat. 'They've managed to destroy any hope they had.'

* * *

The main house had been very busy lately, as everyone had moved into the building, leaving the servants to deal with the sudden increase in population. People rushed around, trying to cater to the needs of the paranoid Hyuugas who were convinced that they were the third target. No one knew anyone else; there were too many people all of a sudden.

"Hey," Hanako, the main cook grabbed a servant's arms. Dragging the man to a table, she thrust a peeler into the servant's hand. You get to peel potatoes." She vanished to kidnap more servants leaving the young worker with the group preparing vegetables. The servant joined the peeling while others chopped and diced.

"Aww dammit!" A fellow worker wailed. "I hate cutting the onions." Tears streamed from her eyes.

"Here, I'll do it," a calm voice said, sliding the chopping board towards away from the girl.

"Really, thank you so much!" the onion-cutting inept woman exclaimed. She eyed her savior. 'Cute, but he seems a bit young. Oh well, I need some fun.' She smiled brightly and tried to start a conversation. She received short replies, if any. 'Geez, he's so awkward.' She continued anyway. "I don't know why Hanako-san always makes me cut them. I swear, she-" The girl prattled on, unaware that her hero was preoccupied with more important things.

* * *

"Finally," Daichi grumbled as a plate was set before him. "Really, you servants are slacking. My lunch is half an hour late!" His server refrained from retorting that the servants were now serving the whole family instead of just the main branch. Daichi was Hyuuga Hiashi's father and the second member of the council. The final member other than Hiashi. Everyone was paranoid now, and a thoughtless word now could result in an execution.

Daichi motioned a dog over. He watched carefully as the dog gobbled the food Daichi gave it. He looked the dog over after it finished eating. Daichi had learned from a medic-nin and could spot signs of poisoning or pain even before the subject noticed it. Seeing that the dog was fine, Daichi inspected the food closely, looking for anything odd, even sniffing the meat. Satisfied that his food was safe, he picked up his chopsticks and dug in.

A few minutes later, a figure entered and set a white card on the plate.

* * *

Tsunade selected a file from the heap on her desk. Flipping through the various documents, she found the page she wanted and skimmed it quickly:

Hyuuga Jako, branch house, heart attack, maybe caused by a chakra strike to the heart  
Hyuuga Sumi, branch house, heart attack, maybe caused by sudden surprise  
Hyuuga Mako, branch house, poison, slow acting and relatively painless  
Hyuuga Sukari, branch house, heart destroyed by chakra injury  
Hyuuga Maya, main house, Hiashi's paternal grandmother, throat cut  
Hyuuga Keiji, branch house, throat cut  
Hyuuga Miho, main house, Hiashi's mother, kunai in heart ---------- _not council_  
Hyuuga Kuriha, branch house, Hiashi's paternal grandfather, blood in lungs

Picking up a pen, she added the latest entry:

Hyuuga Daichi, main house, Hiashi's father, poison, fast-acting and violent

She closed the folder and rubbed her temples. Hiashi was definitely one of the last targets, and the other most likely Hyuuga Kyosuke, a member of the branch family and the other remaining member of the council. Of course, there was always the possibility that there was a different target, such as a member of the main house.

The main house had dwindled, and only Hiashi, Hinata, and Hanabi remained. "And Mari," Tsunade added silently. But Mari had been sealed, much like the branch members. However, unlike the branch members, she could not pass the bloodline on. Hanabi and Hinata were the only two who could pass on the bloodline. If one of the girls died, the other would become the clan head.

If that was the motive, Hinata was the suspect. The leadership of a clan was enough to turn most peoples' heads. But Hinata was different--at least Tsunade hoped that she was different. The girl was too kindhearted, too benevolent. Tsunade had never seen hate in the girl; she was just too accepting, hardly ever fighting back.

Hanabi, however, was as unlikely to have committed the crimes as Hinata. She would become the leader anyway. The girl was ambitious, but she would get her way eventually and she would not become leader any quicker if her father died.

So the last two suspects, Uchiha Itachi and Hyuuga Mari. Both had seen the Hyuuga complex before and the Akatsuki's objectives had always been obscure. She needed more information, something to help the last two Hyuugas.

She sifted through the papers until she found the report she was looking for. Hyuuga Daichi's murder. He had been killed by a violent, fast-acting poison extracted from a plant that grew in the Mist Country, yet no poison had been found. The servants were being questioned, but there were too many servants to know who was supposed to be there and who was not. So in the end, she had gained no new information.

'Damn whoever it is. They're leaving nothing for me,' she thought bitterly. But something still puzzled her. 'Hyuuga Daichi had some medical training. He should have noticed if that poison was in his food.'

"Uck," she groaned as she rose from her chair. Shoving the papers on her desk into a messy stack, she left to go inspect the body herself.

* * *

Hyuuga Daichi's body lay on the floor, a white cloth over his face. Tsunade lifted the cloth and quickly examined the man's face. His eyes were wide open and his mouth was curled in a grimace of pain, the froth at the corners attesting to the agony of his last moments. She replaced the cloth quickly and moved on to an inspection of the corpse. The rigid muscles and strange position hinted at poison, a violent, painful poison.

"Has the food been inspected?" she demanded of the medic-nin hovering behind her.

"Of course. Hokage-sama, but we found nothing. Also, apparently Daichi-sama tested his food on dogs in suspicion of poison. The dog is perfectly fine," he concluded.

"Is there any other way he could have been poisoned?" she asked.

"None that we can find. There are no wounds on his body, although the murderer may have poisoned him in some way and removed the evidence." They were interrupted when the door slid open.

"Have you discovered anything?" Hiashi demanded as he walked over to look down at his father's body.

The medic-nin handed Tsunade the killer's message:

THE BLOOD PRICE IS ALMOST FULFILLED

"A blood price," Tsunade murmured.

"Yes, it's an old term. It demands revenge on all who participated in some act. The revenge could be anything, though in this case the revenge is death."

"And the act?"

"The Anbu are working on it, I'm sure. Most likely something big though, to demand a blood price of 11 deaths."

"Well, Hyuuga-sama, do you know of anything that the victims have done that could make someone want to kill those involved?"

"I know of nothing," he replied, guarded. "Anyway, have you discovered the circumstances of Daichi-sama's death?

"We were getting to that," Tsunade answered. She turned to the medic-nin. "Has the body been examined yet?"

"No. The Anbu didn't want us to disturb anything. Also, Suzu-san, who is the poisons expert, is not in the village right now."

"Fine, I'll do it," Tsunade said shortly. "Send someone to get the testing supplies." The man left, returning quickly with the supplies. Tsunade looked through the various things the man had brought, then selected a short, squat jar filled with a white powder.

"This one should react with that poison," she explained. Lifting the cloth, she dusted the powder over his face. The powder turned yellow around the man's lips. "In his food," she remarked. She looked at the food. Only the beef had been eaten. Daichi had touched nothing else on the table. Tsunade lifted the meat gingerly and prodded it, looking for something. She raised the plate and sniffed the food delicately. She frowned.

"What is wrong, Hokage-sama?" the medic asked.

"Daichi-san ingested poison that was not in his food. He must have been poisoned another way. She brushed some powder over his hands. They stayed the same color. "How?" she wondered. "Someone knew enough not to put the poison in his food, which he tested on the dog first. They put it somewhere else where they knew he would ingest it somehow. We need to inspect the whole room and find where the poison is. It may have been a lucky guess, or it may be that the poisoner has watched Daichi or knows his habits, someplace that Daichi would never think to suspect."

She put some of the powder into a small cup that she gave to the medic-nin. "We may have to test the kitchens too, if nothing turns up." The two women got to work while Hiashi waited impatiently in the doorway.

"Hokage-sama?" the medic-nin said uncertainly. "I've found some traces of the poison, but it's in the wrong place."

"What are you talking about?" Tsunade moved to see what the woman had found. "Strange…Hiashi-sama, perhaps you could explain why the poison is here." She held up a pair of bamboo chopsticks. Yellow powder clung to the larger part where one held the chopsticks. "There is poison on the handle, yet no poison on his hands."

Hiashi stared at the poison. "Of course there is no poison on my father's hands," he said stiffly. "My father held the chopsticks by the lower part used to grasp food and used the top part to eat. A strange habit that he has had for as long as I can remember."

"Is he the only Hyuuga with that habit?"

"Of course, he is the only person to do such a thing."

Tsunade turned to the medic-nin. "Check other pairs of chopsticks," she ordered. The medic-nin hurried to obey. "Hiashi, who knows of this habit?"

"Very few. Daichi rarely took meals with anyone. Only his friends and some of the Hyuuga know of it. Myself and my mother, the council, and some of the branch members that were privileged enough to eat with him."

"Do any of the children know?"

"I doubt it. He wanted grandsons and never visited his granddaughters."

The medic-nin knocked and entered the room. She held a cluster of chopsticks in her hand. The handles of all were a pale yellow. "All of the ones that I've found so far are poisoned."

Tsunade rubbed her temples. "Was there anything strange, any clues?"

"None. All members of the Hyuuga and their servants are currently in the main building. No one knows half of the people they see. We can question the kitchen staff, but I doubt they would know anything."

'Damn, whoever plans these murders is smart, and knows about his victims.' Tsunade turned to Hiashi. "Is it possible to find out who knew Daichi's eating habits?"

"No, my father kept to himself so I don't know who he met with or ate with. I could only offer the names of those I know my father trusts, and I doubt the murderer is one of them."

She must have been feeling tired or irritated, or it may have been something in Hiashi's voice, but something urged Tsunade to ask. "Do you know who the murderer is or what they want revenge for?" she asked point-blank, looking him straight in the eyes.

Hiashi seemed to think for a moment before turning away. "No, I have no idea of anything."

Tsunade watched him leave the room, striding purposefully and regally, back ramrod straight. 'He's lying. Either he's protecting someone or he has a suspicion he will not reveal.'

* * *

"Yosh, now I will run thirty laps around the forest!" Lee stretched excitedly, already running in place. "Soon, Gai-sensei, I will be a great ninja!"

"Good work, Lee!" Gai smiled and directed a thumbs-up at his pupil. Tenten sighed inwardly as she watched the green suited shinobi babble excitedly about youth and hard work.

"It's strange, but sometimes I kind of wish I was like them--not the green suits or anything," Tenten added hastily, "but I wish I could be as enthusiastic as them." Neji continued pounding at the tree. "Hyuuga, pay attention when someone speaks to you." Neji kept attacking, but Tenten saw his eye slide around to glance at her. "Would you stop it already!" she demanded. "If you're so pissed go take it out on your uncle and not on innocent bystanders."

Neji dropped his fists, but still faced the tree. "It's none of your business."

"Fine! Deal with your crap and apologize to Hinata at her funeral!"

"What?" Neji swung around. "What are you talking about?"

"I didn't mean she'd be killed…at least, not like the others. Her family seems to preoccupied to do anything, but she seems to be doing their work for them." She seemed slightly disgruntled to have Neji's full attention now. His glare was intense, even without the Byakugan he still had activated. "I'm sure you've heard the stories; not all of them are rumors.

"Yesterday, some girls and I collected Hinata from the memorial tablet and we took her out to eat, to talk if she wanted to. We said dinner was on us and we got tons of food, but Hinata didn't eat very much. She put some food on her plate, but she only ate a little and moved the rest of it around. She said she was okay, but she didn't even eat any fuuga, and that's her favorite food."

Tenten leaned against a tree and looked down at her feet. "She's starving herself, Neji. I don't think she can face life without Naruto, and her favorite aunts were just killed."

"And what do you expect me to do about it?" he demanded harshly. "I'm not exactly the best person to encourage her to eat after I almost killed her."

"That was years ago, Neji. It's all water under the bridge; she couldn't care less about people's pasts, and you know it." Neji turned back to the tree and unleashed a series of palm strikes. "Neji!"

"I know," he said. The speed of his fists increased, and Tenten knew he was done talking for the day.

* * *

"Naruto-kun, I miss you so much." Hinata's voice was barely a whisper, eyes tracing the familiar carved letters. "I want to be with you so much…" Hinata heard footsteps approaching but didn't move.

"Hinata-san, you need to be more alert. If I had been an enemy, you'd be dead."

"I knew it was you, Neji-niisan. The rhythm of your steps. And I guessed you would be coming. Tenten-san is very concerned."

"Of course she is concerned."

"Hai, she's a good friend. Don't worry, I'm not starving myself." A ghost of a smile flashed across her face for an instant, and Neji wasn't even sure he had actually seen it. "Naruto-kun would be angry with me if I didn't eat. I just wasn't hungry last night." She unfolded her legs and rose to her feet. "We should probably go back soon. Hokage-sama wants us to return to the house early incase of nighttime attacks." She touched the headstone softly before starting for the house. She stopped abruptly to keep from running into someone. Looking up, she recognized her uncle Ridou glaring down at her.

"It's good to see that you are not dead and have merely stayed out late to indulge yourself." The three ANBU accompanying him looked at Hinata with pity.

"Sumimasen, I forgot the time." She lowered her head demurely, letting Ridou's contempt roll over her like water rolls over rocks. Ridou frowned, obviously not satisfied with how she seemed untouched by his hatred.

"Your father is waiting, and the Hokage insisted I go out to search for you. I don't know why she would send the last council member to retrieve you, especially as I'm a target of the bastard murderer." His tone suggested that it was Hinata's fault.

"Please forgive me," Hinata apologized again. "I will not stay out again." Ridou's mouth twisted, and he glanced at Neji.

"You hurry up too. After all, we can't have any Hyuuga in danger." He mimicked Tsunade's words, mocking her orders. The ANBU shuffled, but said nothing as he strode away from the monument.

* * *

Hiashi had stayed awake the whole night, and he paced uneasily around the room. He stopped by the

window, and looked out as dawn lightened the seemingly empty garden. He looked carefully, but was unable to see any of the shinobi waiting in the dark. He was safe, but he was still uneasy somehow. Perhaps he could feel the killer's rage, or perhaps he was finally feeling guilty, but for some reason he was unable to sleep or sit still.

He was lucky, he decided as he leapt back to avoid a kunai. He stumbled back and moved towards the door to call for the guards. A splash of red blinded him, and he dropped to the ground with a thump, body stinging from the slashing kunai. Each wound burned like a hot wire, but he pushed the pain away. He crawled towards the door trying to alert the guards, a gagging sound emerging from his throat as blood dribbled from his mouth.

He tried to cry out when he felt his shoulder wrench forward and the bone break but the blood and his panic muddled his words and his thin squeak died in a gurgle of blood. He attempted to pull himself forward, or to pound on the floor or call for help, but mist covered his eyes and his body tingled painfully. The pain made it impossible to feel anything, and he could no longer tell if his body obeyed him and still moved.

"Gagh…" He finally managed to push some air from his lungs and hoped that someone might come in time.

* * *

"Hiashi-sama!" ANBU flung the door open ahead of Tsunade and stopped in their tracks. The choking noise had sounded ominous, but nothing could have prepared them for the sight that met their eyes.

"What is it?" An imperious voice rose form the back of the squad as Hanabi pushed her way through the group. "Move out of the way," she ordered. An ANBU moved to block her. "Step aside, I demand to see what has happened."

"Hiashi-sama is dead," one of the guards said, face pale. The ANBU did not move, mask hiding any emotions the shinobi might be feeling.

"What's going on?" Hanabi shifted her glare to her older sister.

"It took you long enough to get here. They said that father's dead."

"What!" Hinata darted to her sister's side, and her height allowed her to see over the shoulder of the ANBU blocking their path. Her hand flew to her mouth and she staggered down the hall. One of the people in the hallway followed the girl outside and held her head steady as she began to throw up.

Hanabi shoved the guard aside and paled as she felt bile rise in her throat. She swallowed and closed her eyes, but the sight seemed burned into her eyelids, and she could still see every little detail of the scene in her father's bedroom. She sensed a disruption in the crowd but didn't dare open her eyes until she regained control of herself and of her stomach, unlike her sister who seemed to have finally quieted down. She felt someone stand next to her, and cracked her eyes open to see Neji.

Unlike the two sisters, Neji had more experience with gruesome scenes, but he still felt slightly nauseous as he looked at Hiashi's death. Blood was spattered on the wall and Hyuuga Hiashi's body lay a meter or two from the door. A trail of blood showed that the Hyuuga patriarch had struggled to reach the door even as he died. The most horrifying part of the murder was Hiashi's decapitation. The head had been cut off shortly after he died from blood loss. The head hung in the middle of the room, a kunai pinning it to the low ceiling by the hair. The face was spiderwebbed with cuts and the mouth hung open as Hiashi had tried to scream.

On the wall behind Hiashi, the killer had left a final message. Unlike the other messages on crisp white rectangles, the killer had used Hiashi's blood.

THE JUDGEMENT OF HELL FELL UPON THE DAMNED; THE JUDGEMENT OF A DEMON SHALL FALL UPON THE DEMON

* * *

Yea, finally updated. Sorry but I hit a lazy period and only watched TV or played videogames. But I'm back now so I'll finish this next week or the week after. There's only one more chapter and an epilogue.

Star Lily


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I only own the plot for this story.

Sorry it's so late. I typed it up on my laptop, but when I _moved_ it onto a disk to put on my computer, it got _corrupted_ and I lost this and the epilogue I finished. So I kinda felt unmotivated, but I'll try to finish this fic. The beginning is boring, but the end is better.

Quick Recap (since it's been so long between updates and everyone's probably forgotten what happened): Someone's killing members of the Hyuuga, and each murder is worse than the previous. Hiashi was just killed and there is only one target left.

* * *

The Hyuuga household was in an uproar. The leader of the clan, the strongest Hyuuga, had just died a horrible death despite the numerous precautions and guards. The ANBU had seen Hiashi about 10 minutes prior to the discovery of his murder; someone extremely skilled had gotten past the guards, killed Hiashi in a painful and showy manner, and had managed to escape in that short period of time. The adults talked about the scene in hushed whispers, shooting furtive glances at dark corners and changing the subject when children or other members of Konoha were around.

Overall, the adults tried to spare the children, and ANBU guarded the room around the clock from adventurous daredevils trying to sneak a peek at what the adults were trying to hide from them. Hiashi's body had been removed and the pieces put into an order that resembled his original self. The pieces were wrapped in a white shroud both to cover and bind the remains while they prepared for his cremation. The room was left untouched and various nin went in daily to investigate, to find some clue as to how the murderer had entered and left, and how they had killed Hiashi so easily that the man could only manage to make a small noise before the thump of his body hitting the floor alerted the guards.

Hyuuga Ridou was livid and ranted continually of the ANBU and Hokage's incompetence, of how their inattention had resulted in Hiashi's death. He needled his guards continuously and snorted in contempt when they assured his that the room was safe. He only sat down after he had checked a room himself.

Ridou's paranoia and fear spread to the other Hyuuga. Although they were sure that the last remaining council member was the final target, many were still afraid. After all, shouldn't Hyuuga Hiashi, leader of the clan and head of the council, have been the final target? Ridou must have done something terrible, and many wondered what a demon's punishment was, if Hiashi's had only been that of Hell.

"Maybe he…"

"Probably he…"

"I hope the killer…"

The atmosphere if the house was gloomy and expectant. Tension and fear were most common, although some Hyuuga were merely irritated or even excited.

Neji felt as though he were separated from everyone else by a glass wall. He understood their fears and emotions, but he himself felt nothing. Perhaps the life of a shinobi had desensitized him, or perhaps so many deaths muted the effect.

In any case, he was one of the shinobi who volunteered to investigate Hiashi's death. Hanabi had demanded to be included in the investigation of her father's death, but the leader of the investigation refused to enlist her. She was too emotional, too overbearing. This type of work required cooperation and a cool head. Angered she took up with Ridou and spent her time badmouthing the Hokage and complaining or talking with him about her plans for the clan's future.

She got over her father's death quickly.

* * *

It had been a week since Hiashi's death and they were almost done examining the room. After today, the furniture and mats would be destroyed and the Hyuuga could begin to repair and refurnish the room. The bloodstains had been cleaned the day Hiashi's body had been removed. It was only Hiashi's blood and only showed Hiashi's attempt to reach the door. Apparently, Hiashi had not managed to injure his attacker.

Despite the cleaning, some dark stains still remained, and Neji remembered the scene each time he looked at one. The stain where Hiashi's dismembered leg had been, the place where Hiashi's shoulder had almost been cut off. The one below where Hiashi's head had hung, where the blood had dripped down, was a particularly stubborn, if small bloodstain.

The results of the investigation were horrible. They could not determine from where the killer had entered or left; they could not determine how events had progressed in those ten minutes; the only thing they could determine was that Hiashi had died of bloodloss, some from his leg and shoulder and the multitude of small slashes, but mostly from the gaping hole in his stomach. Hiashi had suffered the wounds and burning poison, and then bleeding to death from his stomach. The poison was only meant to inflict pain, the chemicals reacting with blood and tissue but not causing major damage.

The killer was indeed quite angry and quite prepared to take revenge.

A week passed, and then another. People became more paranoid, certain that the killer was going to strike any second. Some speculated that he had finished with Hiashi's death, or that he had chickened out. Optimists said he was too afraid to try or had died already.

But no, many thought. No one could come so far only to suddenly give up. The killer must be planning something, or celebrating in anticipation of getting the blood price.

* * *

A month passed, and the feeling of danger seemed to fade. It was three months since the killing spree started, and a month and a half since the last death. Perhaps there really would be nothing else. Some of the fear faded, and people resumed their normal routines, although all remained wary and watchful.

Then, two months after Hiashi's death, a note appeared. A note on a plain white card. On Ridou's bedside table to be discovered when he awoke.

**A SINNER, BUT NOT A DEMON**

The previous chaos immediately resurfaced, but worse. Ridou was not the last target; anyone could be the final target now. The killer had also gotten into Ridou's bedroom which was more heavily guarded than Hiashi's had been. The man had not awoken, and the two ANBU guarding the door had neither heard nor seen anything.

A room without windows and the only door guarded by two ANBU. This killer wanted to create an uproar, to create fear. It was all part of the final punishment, the retribution.

Throughout the course of the week, 2 or 3 white cards appeared everyday in various places. All were cryptic messages that hinted at the final death. Finally the killer decided to finish the lovely game of terrorize the Hyuuga.

A white card appeared on the table at breakfast, although servants swore it had not been there as they set the table. The message had been discovered when someone had picked up a fruit bowl and discovered the card leaning against the pitcher behind the bowl.

**TOMORROW NIGHT

* * *

**

The next morning, everyone was nervous, even Ridou who knew he should be fine. ANBU had tried to determine the next target, but there seemed to be no connection between those who had just been killed and one other Hyuuga. In the end, they decided to guard Hinata and Hanabi as well as other important members of the family who had dealt often with those who had been killed.

Many people still worried anyway. Perhaps they had unknowingly done something to offend the psychopath, for the killer obviously suffered from mental delusions. Perhaps they had participated in the deed and would be killed for it. Neji was assigned to guard Hanabi, but the girl protested. Wasn't she as strong as her Neji (no), and couldn't she take care of herself now that she had prior warning? Her six guards were cut to three and Neji asked to join Hinata's three.

Tsunade assigned 2 ANBU squads and 10 or so jounin to protect the Hyuuga. This was not just about the Hyuuga. This was about Konoha and its ability to protect its citizens. Already, other villages knew of the murders within the most powerful clan in Konoha.

To make matters worse, spies had determined that Uchiha Itachi and Hyuuga Mari had been in Stone country during the first four murders. Now, no one knew who to expect or who to protect.

Saturday night, Hinata and Hanabi, along with 6 guards and Neji, were in a room on the top floor. There was only one flight of stairs up, and ANBU could guard the outside with a clear view of anyone approaching.

The sun sank below the treetops, and Neji and the guards got into position. Earlier, ANBU had set up traps and shields around the room. Five other rooms in the house had been prepared in the same way with two or three Hyuuga in each room. Fewer traps wee set, and there were more guards for each possible target.

Also, other possible targets could help fight the killer, although Hanabi had snorted and said that if she were the target, she might as well go it alone for all of the help Hinata would be. Neji clenched his teeth and reminded himself that he was supposed to protect Hanabi, not attack her.

The sky darkened further, and everyone became more alert and wary. The slightest sound caused the guards to draw their weapons and look about wildly. Hanabi had already activated her byakugan and turned periodically to make sure no one was trying to sneak into the room.

Hinata sat in a corner away from everyone else. She seemed to be meditating and did not move a single centimeter. Her eyelids twitched when the others reacted wildly, but other than that, she did not move. A slight pulse of chakra every once in a while assured Neji that she was indeed still alive.

Neji paced the room while the other guard checked the wards on the room. One ward was a simple genjutsu that prevented anyone outside from seeing into the room. They would only see an empty room. A second ward prevented chakra from entering the room, so the killer could not determine where anyone was. No one had been previously informed of where they would be, so the killer did not know where anyone was.

Neji and one guard stayed in the room. Two guards watched from above and two from below, while one patrolled randomly.

The single clock in the room ticked loudly. An hour passed, then another. 10 o'clock, and the killer had not yet attacked. Every team had a flare to send up in case of attack, but they had seen nor heard nothing.

"This is getting on my nerves," Hanabi growled. "What is he trying to do by making us wait four hours?"

"Do you think, perhaps, that the killer has already attacked someone else before they were able to send a flare?" The guard asked.

"N-no." Everyone started at the quiet voice from the corner. Hinata had not moved since they had settled down, and they had begun to disregard her presence. "In each room...a person has a communicator that allows us to communicate with other rooms, and w-we send a signal every ten minutes to make sure everything is fine."

"When did that happen?"  
"Um, j-just before we split into our groups. It was…my idea, and Hokage-sama thought it would be useful. I have the communicator for our group.

"The killer probably stole the communicator and is sending a signal." Hanabi criticized.

"N-no, these communicators are k-keyed to the p-person to whom it was assigned." Her face grew red at from embarrassment as everyone stared at her. She lifted the edge of her heavy coat to show a small black box clipped to her waist. "Um, I-I send a small pulse of chakra every ten minutes…and the signal travels to the second communicator…and theirs to the third. There is a pulse when I begin the chain…and if they do not receive the passing signal within fifteen seconds of my starting-or if there is an unregistered signal, we assume that a s-safe room has been attacked.

Her eyes flicked to the clock. The seconds hand was rounding on the twelve, and the moment it clicked into position, a small burst of chakra pulsed from her hip. It was very faint and hardly noticeable. "I…just started the chain." A few seconds later, another pulse indicated that all of the rooms were fine. "The chain just finished, so it will be ten minutes before I…have to do anything again."

She shifted her eyes from the clock and looked at her companions for the first time that night. Suddenly, she flickered from sight. A thump signaled the beginning of the killers attack as someone fell to the floor.

"Don't worry, he's only unconscious, a cold voice announced.

'No, it can't be, don't let it be her.' Neji turned knowing what he would see and dreading it.

Hinata stood poised and at ease over the body. A smile danced across her lips as she straightened to her full height and looking Neji straight in the eyes. When had her eyes become so dull, so cold. Her white eyes were blank and her face held an expression of mild interest that lacked the childish naïveté that Neji had come to think of as Hinata's character. Nothing of his gentle cousin remained in this new woman. Hinata's sweet, elfin features were sharp and cunning, her smile more of sneer, her innocent gaze mocking.

Neji barely manage to move out of the way as she flickered from sight again. He shifted to the side from instinct and luck more than skill as she punched down on where he had been a moment before. When had she become so fast?

She reappeared a meter from Neji, her face twisted in annoyance. She dodged the blur that was Hanabi and went for Neji again.

"Hinata-sama, what--" Neji cut off abruptly as he dove and flattened himself against the wall.

"It's you!" Hanabi screamed. "I knew I should have gotten rid of you a long time ago!"

"Shut up, brat." Hinata's quiet voice was devoid of emotion as she flitted into view in front of the clock. She looked at her two relatives for a moment; then her face darkened.

"I will kill you." She unleashed a volley of kunai. Neji was frozen to the spot as they flew past him and struck the space where Hanabi had been.

Neji turned back in shock. Hanabi was the final target. Hinata had killed her father and grandparents and even the aunt that had loved her and was going after her sister to round off the killing spree. 'But why did she go for me?' He jumped aside as Hanabi flew past. 'What's going on?'

"Tch, I messed up," Hinata murmured. "Now I have to take both of you out."

"Wait, Hinata-sama, please explain what's going on." Neji's head overflowed with questions, with realizations, with relief. The conflict was nearing conclusion, and soon he would know the answer to the mystery of the murders.

"Don't bother talking to her," Hanabi spat as she attempted to skewer her sister.

"Why not?" Hinata taunted. "You don't want him to know the truth?" Two blurs raced around the room, and kunai and shuriken seemed to sprout from furniture and walls.

A spray of blood indicated first hit, and the two sisters reappeared, Hanabi clutching her shoulder and Hinata holding a bloody kunai. 'Hinata is beating Hanabi!' a distant part of his mind cheered. Hinata's eyes flicked to Neji's and seemed to soften a little as she looked at one of the few precious people she had left.

"I'll tell you Neji. I was planning to leave a letter, but I suppose this would be fine too." She slammed her palm to the floor and a ridge raced towards Hanabi.

"Hanabi killed Naruto."

Those three words sent Neji reeling. The final piece of the puzzle, but he was even more confused with even more questions.

"No, Naruto died on a mission." He dodged the corner of a table as it flew past to burst against the wall. Hinata snorted. He would never have believed his cousin capable of such an action.

"No, my family killed him, Hanabi killed him." She flinched a shuriken sank into her arm.

"He should have died," Hanabi shrilled. "You would let him taint our bloodline, give us over to that demon." Hinata charged forward, blades in both hands, eyes flashing in anger.

"You are the demon, you little bitch!" Two more surprises. Hinata actually shouted and she said a curse word.

Hanabi reached out to hit her older sister, but Hinata flowed to the side and snapped her elbow down. There was a loud crack and Neji heard Hanabi squeak in pain. Hanabi darted towards the window, numerous slashes on her body. Her arm dangled at her side uselessly, the white bone poking from her skin as she looked out the window frantically.

"Running for help now? Need someone to save you now that you can't hide behind daddy anymore?" Hinata rushed at her sister, but stopped suddenly as a shuriken whistled past her face. Had she not stopped, she would be dead or at least unable to see.

"She has me to help her." A brave honorable statement, but Neji's voice was full of sadness and betrayal. He had to protect a selfish little brat the he would rather hurt himself from the only family member that he actually liked.

"A branch member's duty." Hinata's remark stung, but he could hear her understanding beneath her words, could sense her forgiveness for his actions. Much as Neji hated Hanabi, he couldn't stand by and let her be annihilated by her older sister.

"Fine then. I did want to spare you, Neji."

The two on one battle began, and Hanabi and Neji could barely manage to keep up. Hanabi was already tired and injured and Neji could not bring himself to go all out even though his mind screamed that the killer must be eliminated. Hinata risked nothing and had somehow become stronger and more skilled seemed to rival Neji. Hanabi managed to land a few blows, but her refusal to work with those inferior to her hindered their efforts.

Hinata seemed to become faster rather than weaker as the fight progressed. A feral smile surfaced and her hands were a blur as they formed seals.

A part of Neji observed his cousin in amazement. It was the four-year-old Neji that had been buried for many years, the part that adored his cute younger cousin and wished for her to succeed.

Hinata taunted Hanabi every time the younger girl stopped to rest. About 10 years of buried hatred boiled forth in a stream of insults and taunts. Hinata bottle things up, and apparently she was unleashing everything now.

"You spied on my, you scheming little witch, and then you went whining to your father." Hinata's declaration of independence from Hanabi's father. "And then you all planned it. And then you got someone and make it look like an accident, like it was all in the line of duty." Quiet rage seethed in Hinata's accusations.

"You were forgetting your place and your duty to our family. We had to get rid of it to keep ourselves safe. Everyone could see what would happen, or at least everyone except Ridou. He was soft, said that we should leave you alone. And this is what you really are," Hanabi said bitterly.

Hinata's face was calm. "I am what I am, I am what you made me." She crouched down. "I will do what is right, I will make you pay for what you did to Naruto-kun." She sprung into the air, and Neji and Hanabi tried desperately to dodge the furious onslaught of attacks.

There was a muted popping noise as white smoke filled the room. Neji heard Hanabi scream as fingers jabbed the base of his neck. He fell to the floor, and Hinata waited in front of Hanabi as the smoke dissipated.

Hinata smirked as Hanabi's eyes widened. The coddled brat was scared. The usual contempt and superiority was gone. Hinata had stripped Hanabi of her confidence, and she planned to take much, much more. After all, demons are cruel, merciless beings, and Hinata's punishment would leave Hanabi wishing she had never been born, never seen her sister, never lived to see this day.

A demon's judgment upon another demon.

* * *

Okay, was anyone surprised? No, didn't think so. I'm not good at this kind of writing. Sorry about the delay. I'll post the (very short) epilogue on Wednesday or Thursday because I'm a very slow typer.

**Star Lily**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I only own the plot of this fic.

Whoa, I'm about to actually finish a fic. The world is about to end…

* * *

Neji walked down the hallway, the scuffing of his shoes oddly loud in his ears. The other sounds, the people moving about, the clicks and beeps of the machines, were oddly muted, their quiet whispers anxious and fearful.

There was no one else in this wing of the hospital. If people were in critical condition, they quickly recovered and were moved to a lower floor or they died, passing on while their loved ones wailed and sobbed, the machine emitting a monotonous, high-pitched tone as their vital signs flat-lined.

The only patient on this floor currently held the record for being in this wing for the longest period. Previously, it had seemed impossible for someone to be in critical condition for more that two months. You were either about to die or you weren't. You couldn't just stay on the cusp of death for six months. Unless, of course, you were put in the hospital by your very angry and vengeful ex-older sister who also happened to be very knowledgeable concerning poisons and the human body. It could just be that Hanabi was strong and refused to die, but it was more likely that Hinata was cruel and wanted her younger sister to survive.

Sometimes living can be worse than dying.

Neji reached the end of the hallway and grabbed the handle of the door but did not enter. He could leave and say he had checked in on the girl; she couldn't tell anyone, and no one left really cared about it anyway.

But no, Neji was not like that. He would go in and sit and look out the window for half an hour as he had done once a week for the past 5 months. The Hokage might come to look in as the Hyuuga Case, as the villagers called it, was extremely complicated and intricate and was still being sorted out.

Neji twisted the handle and pushed the door open. As usual, he avoided looking at the bandaged figure on the bed, his gaze wandering to the single vase of flowers on the bare bedside table. He wandered to the chair in the corner and tried to find someway to pass the time.

The window looked out on the Hokage Monument, but Neji had gotten tired of the view within the first month. The room was a glaring white, bare and empty. The vase held two bouquets, both from the Hyuuga Clan. A get well card from Hanabi's class at the Academy was propped against the vase. Hanabi has made few friends in her ambitious quest to control the Hyuuga and become stronger.

The hands of the clock had only moved an agonizing 5 minutes when Neji heard footsteps in the hallway. Tsunade peeked in and flashed him a quick smile as she came in. She watched the monitors for a moment before speaking.

"We should be able to move her soon provided Hinata left no more surprises." Hanabi had seemed to recover twice already when a present left by her older sister sent he back to the edge of death. "She may wish that she had not recovered though. Hinata knew a great deal about the human body." Neji leaned forward with interest. This was the first time he would hear about Hanabi's condition.

Hinata had knocked him out, and he had awoken in the hospital with a lump where he hit his head on the ground and a few minor injuries from his battle with Hinata. Only he and Hanabi had been injured, and his were only superficial wounds. He had been discharged that day. Only he and Hanabi knew what had happened, and he only knew part of the story. He had related what he knew, and Ridou had confirmed that the council had wanted to separate Naruto from Hinata, although he had been unaware of the plan.

A month after the attack, a letter from Hinata arrived in which she confessed everything that she had done. She had learned the truth of Naruto's death when she discovered a letter in her father's study, and she had immediately begun to plan her revenge. She took full responsibility for her actions, and finally asked Neji's forgiveness. As the oldest daughter, she would inherit the position of head of Hyuuga. Her father had not changed that part of his will before his death. As she had left the Hyuuga, she named Neji as the new leader.

And that was why Neji had to visit Hanabi every week. As head, he had to show concern for the family members. Surprisingly, no one protested Neji's appointment as the new head. He was much preferred to Hanabi. He was the only one to visit Hanabi after her first week in the hospital. Apparently the golden child was no longer quite so wonderful without her father and the council's support.

And Hinata had thoroughly destroyed that faction. All of the powerhouses were out of the game; a new order could be established, and she trusted Neji to do it.

Technically, Hanabi could contest Neji for his position, once she awoke from her coma, but Hinata had acted against such a thing happening.

Tsunade told Neji the details. A modified palm strike had destroyed the chakra pathways around Hanabi's eyes, ensuring that the girl could never again use the Byakugan as well as frying her optical nerves to leave the girl mostly blind, although still able to perceive some blurs. Hanabi's internal organs were permanently damaged, and she would likely suffer from pain for the rest of her life. Her inner coils were destroyed and any attempt to manipulate chakra would damage them further as well as the surrounding tissue.

Hinata's knowledge of the nervous system ensured that the girl would never walk again. One leg was paralyzed, as well as one hand and the middle, pinky, and ring finger of the other hand. She had stabbed Hanabi in the shoulder and the hip, and then proceeded to heal both places sloppily. Hanabi would have a humped shoulder and drag a crippled leg behind her. A strike to Hanabi's ear may have deafened her, although they wouldn't know how much hearing the girl retained until she recovered from her coma.

Hinata had destroyed the girl's body and taken measures to prevent her from living any semblance to a happy life. Hanabi was crippled and weak and would be dependent on others for the rest of her life. No one in her condition would ever be able to live by themselves. It would be a miserable and painful life among those that disliked her and inwardly gloated that she got what she deserved.

At least in hell, one retained their sense and their bodies and knew that others suffered as they did. Hinata had condemned Hanabi to a dreary and disappointing shadow of a life on earth; Hinata's idea of a fitting punishment for a demon.

* * *

Two months after the Hyuuga Case, Neji slid open his bedroom door and promptly cursed as he tripped over a bundle outside his door and slammed into the opposite wall. Bouncing off the wall, the faltered for a moment before turning to glare at the baby that had begun to squall quietly.

'What the--' Neji's thoughts were cut off as Ten Ten appeared at the end of the hall.

"Neji, it's time to go. You're late and--is that a baby?"

"No, it's a rock," Neji said sarcastically. The baby fussed some more and Neji looked at it uneasily.

"For crying out loud," Ten Ten said as she watched Neji eye the baby warily. "Jeez, leave me to take care of things for you." She lifted the bundle and began cooing and making noises as the baby.

Neji rolled his eyes but was more interested in the letter that had dropped form the blankets.

Neji-oniisama,

I am sorry for all of the trouble I have caused you. This is the only able member of the main house, and I trust you as her guardian. Please take care of her and change the destiny that has always existed. I wish you luck and long life and hope you never live as I did.

Hyuuga Hinata

"This is Hinata's baby?" Ten Ten asked after he looked up from the letter.

"Yes." Neji stepped forward to look at the baby. It was only a few months old and had her mother's pointed elfin features and the family's colorless white eyes. It was appropriate that Naruto's daughter would help change destiny, Neji thought as he stroked the wisps of golden hair.

* * *

Oh my god, I actually finished. SHOCK Now I have to finish all my other fics --;. Hoped you liked it, and please review what you thought of it. I know I left a lot of open ends, but I wanted to leave it a little vague so you can decided for yourselves what happens. If you want a more definite end, say so in your review and I might make another short afterwards of what happens. Thanks for reading and not abandoning me when I didn't update.

**Star Lily**


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